DVD REVIEW-The Sweeney

What you lookin’ at, slag?

In 2007, Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg brought us Hot Fuzz. Hot Fuzz was the answer to the question ‘why doesn’t Britain make big, over the top cop movies’. Everybody involved in this, has clearly never seen Hot Fuzz.
Now, it’s not that the sweeney is a bad film, it really isn’t. It just isn’t the Sweeney. It’s directed by the uber-talented Nick Love. the problem is, Love seems to think he is directing the next big classic. But, this isn’t Heat, and Winstone and Plan B aren’t DeNiro and Paccino. However, Ray Winstone is well cast as Reagan and puts in one of his best performances in recent years. But, Plan B just comes across as a poor man’s Tom Hardy. He mumbles his lines and tries to come across as sinister, but just comes across as miscast. The film doesn’t quite know if it wants to be a full on action film, or a police procedural. It doesn’t do both particularly well. There is a fantastically shot, shoot-out in Trafalgar Square that falls flat, due to the fact that there are approximately 11 by-standers, that’s right 11 by-standers in Trafalgar Square, the streets of central London have absolutely no traffic, which means we get cool shots of Winstone speeding along Waterloo bridge, but if you know anything about London, it instantly takes you out of the moment.
The villains are two-dimensional and get interrogated in a white office, with a great view of London, full with the latest Macbook’s and digital video cameras, but they never ask for lawyers.
If you’re a fan of the original series and you’re thinking of watching this, don’t. But, If you’re at a loose end one evening, stick this on and enjoy with the alcoholic beverage of your choice.